


No more shadows

by Lady_Elwing



Category: Charloe - Fandom, Revolution (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluffier than fluffy, Just a cute little piece, Post Season 2, So sweet it might hurt your teeth, Well fluffly and sweet in my standard, charloe - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-22
Updated: 2015-02-22
Packaged: 2018-03-14 12:25:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3410579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Elwing/pseuds/Lady_Elwing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Patriots have been vanquished but Bass can't settle down. He knows that Charlie is equally aimless in this new peace. One of his many sleepless nights gives him the perfect idea to cheer her up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	No more shadows

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Futaiim (futaiim)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/futaiim/gifts).



  
    It was too bright to sleep. Bass had been tossing and turning for hours now. The full moon was filtering through his makeshift curtains and it didn’t help that too many thoughts were haunting him. He kicked away the sheet covering him, and stumbled to the kitchen. His little hovel wasn’t much but it provided a roof over his head and blissful solitude. He lit a candle. He didn’t need it to find the bottle he had left on the table. As he took a swig, he looked outside. The blinding moonlight was outlining the oak tree. The branches were thick.  Almost perfect for a swing, he thought, surprising himself. He needed sleep.  
  
    The war against the patriots was over. Order had been restored but it was impossible to settle down. No rest for the wicked. The restlessness had been growing in him, ever since he had followed the Mathesons back to Willoughby. Maybe some fresh air would help. He stepped out on his uneven porch to peer at the tree. The idea of a swing couldn’t leave his mind.  
  
    It was better than wondering why the hell he had decided to come here. He had no clue why. Connor had taken another darker road and Bass had chosen to turn his back on his son and follow them… Charlie and Miles. She was a surprise. Things would never be like before with Miles but Charlie’s eyes were full of promises. The perfect weapon was crackling, inside there was a young woman instead. A woman that he couldn’t stop following or thinking about. Not that he would ever admit it to anyone. Charlie worried him. Delighted him. He knew she had her family to look after her, but he could see the shadows in her eyes and knew what her binge drinking meant.  
  
    His hands gripped the branch as he put his whole weight on it. The branch didn’t mind his onslaught. It would be strong enough. Charlie would love it. He shook his head in disbelief. There were better ways to fill his sleepless nights. Actually, that was a lie.  
  
    He could remember her telling Miles about that swing in her childhood home’s backyard. Both of them were keeping watch while Bass was pretending to sleep. He hadn’t missed a single piece of their conversation. Charlie had sounded so nostalgic, remembering how she used to pretend that she was flying to the clouds, while her mother was telling her to slow down. He liked the idea of a flying free Charlie. He let go of the branch. It would be a perfect spot for a swing.  
  
    He yawned. Maybe he would be able to find some sleep after all. Imagining Charlie on that swing was better than thinking about Philly, the Patriots and Connor. Or even Miles. Crazy, infuriating, bitter, silly Charlotte.  
  
  
    He woke up in the late afternoon. He swallowed a piece of stale bread with his coffee and he was already outside. He found rope in the abandoned shed next to his cabin, a tyre attached to a forgotten car. He worked tirelessly. Sweat breaking on his back, as he secured the rope and made sure the swing wouldn’t collapse under his weight, or Charlie’s.  
  
    Once he was done, he settled on the porch with a drink to admire his handiwork. Memories crept from that tightly locked part of his mind. His dad had built a swing for his mom in their backyard. Mom would swing back and forth, and read or talk on the phone. He drained his glass. The past was gone. All he had was here and now, it was no good to dwell on memories, whether they were sweet or bitter. He lingered on his porch until the sun set.  
  
  
    He waited until it was dark enough to wander to town. Charlie would be up to her usual tricks at the bar. Putting everyone to shame with her alcohol tolerance and trying to pick someone up. The mere thought made his blood boil. Every time he saw her leaving the bar with her new conquest, she would look back at him. And for a split second, they would stare at each other. It drove him mad, and she knew it. They almost had a moment, once or twice, on the the road. A few urgent kisses. But when you’re fighting against the whole world, there isn’t any time for romance. His thoughts had made him reach his destination faster than expected.  
  
    Charlie was sulking all by herself. The other customers were giving her a wide berth. Her eyes were on her drink, shoulders slumped, her knife by her side. Bass made his way next to her and cleared his throat, but she didn’t look up.  
    “Look what the cat dragged in.“ She rasped.  
    “Why, hello Charlotte.“  
    “What do you want?“ She finally looked up and shot him an annoyed look. The dark circles under her eyes told him that she hadn’t been sleeping well either. His hand covered hers.  
    “Come with me.“ She didn’t push his hand away but averted her gaze.  
    “Leave me alone. I just want to drink tonight.“  
    “You can do that later. Come on.“ She peered curiously at his face. There was a strange twinkle in his eyes. The truth was, she didn’t want to be alone tonight. Her mother and Miles were forever glued together and she didn’t belong her. She was tired of her one night stands and the listlessness growing in her . Monroe could be a welcome distraction.  
    “Damn it Charlotte. Come with me. I want to show you something.“ Well that could be interesting. She got up and followed him outside.  
    “Ok fine. I’m coming. this better be good.“ Maybe he had someone to kill? Someone to torture? Hell. Anything would be more fun that rotting in this sleepy dead-end town.  
  
    He didn’t offer any explanation as they walked through the town and into the woods. His hands still holding hers, their fingers entwined. They walked past his house, straight to the backyard. They stopped next to an oak tree. She waited but he wasn’t breathing a word. She scrutinized his porch and the whereabouts: no tied up prisoner or rotting corpses. Under the full moon, it was impossible to miss anything of the sort.  
    “So? There’s nothing here.“  
    “You’re not looking Charlie.“ There was a smile on his face. She shot him a confused look.  
    “And here I was thinking you were a good tracker.“  
    “What?“ She looked around and then she caught sight of the old tire.  She took a step closer as her hands wrapped on either side of the swing.  
    “This is new.“ She turned her gaze to him. He was beaming and in the moonlight she could swear he looked embarrassed.  
    “Yeah. I made it for you.“ He sounded unlike himself, unlike General Sebastian Monroe or even Monroe the wanted man. Charlie couldn’t hid the smile spreading on her face. She couldn’t believe it.  
    “You’re serious?“  
    “It’s nothing,“ he mumbled.  
    “You made this… for me.“ He didn’t answer. He wasn’t smiling any more. His eyes were glimmering in the darkness.  
    “No. You really made it for me?“ She emphasized the last words.  
    “Yeah. It’s no big deal.“ He couldn’t take his eyes away from her face. She was really smiling, it wasn’t a sneer or a smirk. She looked genuinely happy.  
    “Thank you Bass.“ He jolted at her use of his name. She usually just called him Monroe, or Sebastian with a mocking voice. Bass was only yelled when they were alone together, surrounded by danger and gunfire. He nodded.  
    “So, since I’m a man of my word. I guess I’ll leave you in peace now.“ He stepped away but Charlie’s voice stopped him in his tracks.  
    “No. Don’t go.“ He turned around. He couldn’t have heard right. Charlie usually kept him at bay, even when he was busy saving her ass or they were sharing smouldering glances.  
    “What do you want Charlotte?“  
    “Stay. Please. Stay with me.“ Her voice was breaking, her eyes glittering with tears.  
      
    She sat down on the swing as she tried to wipe them away. He couldn’t tell whether they were tears of joy or sadness. It didn’t matter. She was beautiful even when she was crying or covered in blood, preferably someone else’s. His knees against hers, his hands over hers, he pushed the swing. Charlie had closed her eyes and she was smiling. Her blissful face was priceless. He was aching to hold her, feel her soft warmth spread on his body but this wasn’t what tonight was about.  
  
    She opened her eyes again and peered into his blue eyes. He was still pushing the swing back and forth, his cold hands covering hers. She had often wondered why he had followed them here, it couldn’t be for Miles who mostly ignored him. It couldn’t be for her, could it?  
    “How did you know? I love swings…“  
    “You told Miles… I remember.“  His words startled her. She couldn't recall when and where she had spoken about this. But he did.  
  
    Nobody cared about how much she drank, how many men she took to the woods, but she had always noticed his gaze following her. Her mother had given up on her and Miles would have cared if Rachel gave him the time. Others were busy rebuilding their lives. But Bass was always there, a shadow in the corner of her eyes. She stood up. Before he had time to step back, her lips were on his, her hands on either side of his face. She brushed her lips against his. It wasn’t a kiss, it was just a caress. A promise.  
  
    “Now move away, I want to go faster.“ He obliged. And he watched her swinging back and forth, higher and higher every time. It seemed surreal. Charlotte Matheson on a swing, in the middle of the night, in his backyard. Maybe things were going back to a new normal? Tonight, he didn’t mind the bright moonlight. It revealed her happy face and a genuine smile. He couldn’t look away. Charlotte Matheson, the terror of the Monroe Republic was just a girl tonight. No more shadows.  
  
    Dawn was creeping in. Charlie was swaying slowly back and forth, her face pensive. He was leaning against the tree, his mesmerized gaze never leaving her. Eventually, she stopped swinging. She yawned and stretched her arms over her head and rolled her shoulders.  
    “I should go home.“  
    “Or you could stay.“  He offered. Charlie got up and stopped in front of him. Eye to eye, they stood still, as birds started to chirp over their heads, and the sun peered through the branches. No words were needed. She grinned. He nodded, a smile also creeping over his lips.

**Author's Note:**

> My dear Futaiim, I hope you enjoyed this little piece and it was how you wanted it.


End file.
